Senate Committee Legislation Latest Sign of Continued Momentum to Plug Orphan Wells

EDF Statement from Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs

Today, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed legislation that includes  the bipartisan Revive Economic Growth and Reclaim Orphan Wells (REGROW) Act, S. 1076.

“EDF applauds the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for passing this important policy initiative, which would create tens of thousands of jobs and protect local communities from air, water and climate pollution from old, leaky orphan oil and gas wells. Properly plugging these wells is a key part of the overarching changes – including reforms to bonding and other policies that prevent wells from becoming orphaned in the future – needed to mitigate the past, current and future environmental impact of the oil and gas industry.

The REGROW Act would invest $4.7 billion to clean up this widespread and long-term hazard. It would ensure all 57,000 documented oil and gas orphan wells in the U.S. are properly plugged and remediated, and also help to identify and catalogue the hundreds of thousands of other improperly abandoned wells across the country.

With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org

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